Full Metal Panic: Rebirth of the Nine Dragons
by Weltall Elite
Summary: Sosuke and Kaname are going camping in the mountains with some of their friends and Sousuke is determined not to mess things up for her. But when he lets his guard down an old enemy returns. And this time there's something inhuman about him.
1. Bloodlust

Full Metal Panic: Rebirth of the Nine Dragons

Chapter 1: Bloodlust

The November air was cold and brisk, but it no longer seemed to have any affect on him. He'd been dead for over a month now after all. He was a large burly man with a face horribly disfigured with scars. His hands and mouth were stained in blood. But it wasn't his own.

He stared down at his latest victim with dispassionate yellow eyes. The conditions of his "rebirth" were strict and boring, so every now and again, he'd allow himself an indulgence such as this one. The unfortunate man who was now lying in a pool of blood with his eyes glazed over had been heading home to his family. But he would never make it. It would be hard to recognize his body at this point.

His killer had originally been rather excited with this type of activity. He was after all testing out his new-found strengths. But now that he was growing comfortable with it, this game was growing tiresome. He was ready to move onto bigger and better things.

"Dammit, Gauron, how many times must I tell you that we must not kill humans for sport!" The large man turned around to see three Chinese men walking toward him down the dark, poorly lit alley. All dressed in long, flowing black coats, and none looking too pleased with him. "Each body you leave behind brings further suspicion to the Order."

The one speaking was Marcus. He was widely considered to be a very powerful vampire with hundreds of years of experience. With him were two of his sired vampires. When the wind blew their coats opened, Gauron could see that while Marcus was unarmed, his two subordinates had .45 caliber handguns and short swords hanging from their belts.

"Are you out here to spoil my fun again, Marcus?" the scarred man asked in a condescending tone. The tone wasn't lost on his master.

"You will address me as 'Sire' and you will do as I instruct you to do, is that understood?" he responded sternly.

A thin smile crossed the Gauron's lips. "You know, being immortal and having all sorts of new power isn't much fun when being bound by all these rules. In fact, it kinda just _sucks the life out of it_. Heh heh."

Marcus wasn't amused by the pun. This newly embraced Child was beginning to be more trouble than he was worth. "You listen to me," he hissed. "We went to great pains to have you brought back because the elders thought you might have some potential given your talents as a human. But if you continue this insubordination, we may consider you a failed effort and have you… removed." Normally, the Embracing could only be performed on a living human being. But through special rituals and blood rites, a recently deceased corpse could be revived. These rituals were rarely practiced, but the elder vampires had decreed that the man known as The Nine Dragons would be a valuable asset to them.

The defiant vampire dropped his smile and scowled at the threat. "I think I'm getting tired of this little game, _Sire._" The last word was dripping with sarcasm. "I appreciate all you've done for me, but I think it's for us to part ways. I am after all a businessman and I can't let a little thing like being dead for a few weeks slow down progress, now can I?"

"Do you think we'll simply let you leave?" he sneered. At that the two men standing beside Marcus reached into their coats to ready their weapons. "These laws have been in place for thousands of years and they're the reason we have endured so long in a world that would have us hunted and destroyed."

Gauron laughed. "What a joke! You're supposed to be hunters and instead the only reason you've survived this long is because you've hidden like rats in the shadows. If you people had an ounce of balls, we could rule this world." He stalked closer to Marcus. "I was a mercenary before this. I lived my life day by day. Worrying about how I'm going to get by another thousand years isn't something that concerned me then and I'm not about to start now. I think I'd rather be dead than hiding in some hole for the next millennium," he said threateningly.

"I see. So that is your decision. Then we have no choice but to accommodate you," the sire retorted.

As soon as Marcus said that, the other two took it as their cue to attack. But before they could unholster their pistols, the muscular man had moved with blinding speed behind him and snapped his neck, causing his body to go limp. It wasn't enough to kill a vampire, but it immobilized him long enough for the man to take his pistol.

Gauron used the smaller man as a human shield when the bullets came flying his way. The subdued man's body jerked as each bullet punctured his unconscious body. He then returned fire to Marcus and his remaining Child. The more experienced vampire evaded the spray of bullets with a feat of speed similar to the one Gauron had just used. The second subordinate wasn't so lucky. The rounds that had riddled his body had left him severely wounded. He grunted and groaned, struggling to stay on his feet.

Before the injured vampire could act, Gauron grabbed his captive's blade and threw him into his partner like a rag doll using his new strength. And before the two of them could even fall to the ground, the Nine Dragons was upon them and cleaved both their heads from their shoulders. They then burst into flames and disintegrated into ashes.

The former mercenary then turned to deal with Marcus himself, but before he could finish turning around the master used his unnatural power and speed to plow into Gauron. He soared over a dozen feet back into the alleyway, crashing into several crates. The sword that had been in his hand skidded harmlessly into the back corner of the alley. Almost as if he'd teleported to him, Marcus appeared where the new vampire had landed. He grabbed him by his neck and lifted him into the air, trying to choke the unlife out of him.

"You're a _fool_, Gauron! To have mastered the ways of the vampire in such a short period of time to this extent is uncanny! You could have been one of the greatest creatures to ever have roamed the night. But instead you have chosen death."

Marcus then noticed that something wasn't right. Gauron wasn't struggling at all. He didn't see any pain in his face either. At most, it was some slight discomfort.

"For all that talk, is this really the best you can do?" If it is, then I'm afraid your best hundred years are behind you," Gauron taunted with an evil grin. He could now see the panic in Marcus' eyes. It was time to end things.

He grabbed Marcus by the wrist and used his other forearm to smash behind his sire's elbow, swiftly snapping the joint. He howled in pain and his grip on Gauron's throat slackened immediately. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the insane man grabbed his former master's broken arm and flipped him over his body, driving him hard into the concrete. He landed with such a force that the pavement crumbled around him. The pain caused his vision to blur as he stared up at the insane man's cruel face. Up until now he'd always looked down on him and viewed him as a troublesome child in need of discipline. But now his former charge appeared more like a demon to him and it terrified him down to his very core.

Gauron then grabbed the man by the throat. "Let me show you how it's done!" he shouted, hoisting Marcus into the air. He ineffectively tried beating on the man's powerful arm with his good hand, but was helpless in his grasp. In the end, he could only struggle and choke. Gauron's dead yellow eyes betrayed his evil intent.

"You think you're so strong because you've managed to not get killed for a few hundred years? Pathetic. The reason a 'rookie' like me was able to beat you so easily was because you and all your kind really don't know a damn thing about being killers. You call yourselves predators, but in the end, it's nothing more than some cheap magic tricks in your hands. After all this time, you never learned how to uses the powers you'd been given."

The world was starting to fade for Marcus as he felt the bones in his neck starting to give way. His last vision was Gauron's hideously disfigured face turned up into a sick smile. As everything turned black, he heard his killer say, "And that's why things like this happen." Gauron gave one last squeeze, snapping his neck. Marcus' body stiffened for a moment and then went completely slack. Summoning the dark powers deep within him, he then used both hands to brutally twist the incapacitated vampire's head from his body, with a savage yell. He was completely unaffected by the blood and gore than poured all over his hands. He casually dropped the body as it turned to ash like the other two he'd finished off.

"Well, Marcus, I'll say this: you were at least a little bit of fun for me. But when you get down to it, there are regular humans who could put up a better fight than that." Gauron closed his eyes and touched one of the many scars on his face. "I can think of at least one that's just a kid," he whispered. He then turned and walked away from the scene in the ally.

"Time to move onto more interesting things. What'dya say we pick up where we left off… eh, Kashim?"

* * *

**One week later…**

Kaname Chidori let out a sigh of contentment. "This vacation is just what I need," she said to Kyoko who was helping her pack and prepare food for their upcoming camping trip to the mountains.

"I know what you mean. These last few weeks have been pretty tough in school with our midterms coming up," Kyoko replied in her usual chipper and upbeat way.

Kaname frowned and set down the outfit from her closet she'd been looking at. Despite what Kyoko had said, she knew her best friend really didn't know what she meant. Her classes were going fine, as usual, but between dealing with a certain moron blowing up half the school on a daily basis, running from terrorists and assassins, and numerous other unpleasant events, her nerves were about shot. On top of that, Sosuke had been even worse than usual lately. He was constantly on edge and that usually translated into problems for her to clean up.

Through sheer willpower, Kaname cheered herself up and resumed the task of packing her backpack. Come hell or high water, she wasn't going to let _anything_ ruin this trip. She'd make sure Sosuke behaved himself, even if she had to kill him herself. "Yep! This will be a no-stress weekend!" she shouted to herself while pumping her fist with determination.

Kyoko could only stare perplexed at her friend who was evidently talking to no one.

"Um… Kana?"

This snapped Kaname out of her thoughts as she realized she'd been making a fool of herself.

"What? I wasn't doing anything! Are we going to pack or what!" she shouted very quickly and finished off with an embarrassed chuckle. She then went to running about her apartment, grabbing the necessary items she needed for the trip… and some she didn't need.

Kyoko smiled nervously. "Kaname, are you thinking about Sagara again?" Kaname froze at that.

"Wh-what makes you say that?"

"Because you only get like this when you're worrying about him." Kyoko emphasized her point by nodding her head at the toilet plunger Kaname had been trying to stuff into her bag.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Kaname snapped at Kyoko. "He's probably going to bring all kinda of bombs and guns and ruin my no-stress weekend!" Just then an image of her peaceful, relaxing vacation being blown up in a mushroom cloud along with half of Japan popped into her head. "Uh… Kyoko, I'll be back in a little while. I have to some precautions." She gave Kyoko a nervous chuckle as she headed for the door. And with that, she grabbed her coat and ran outside.

Kyoko sighed. "This isn't what I'd call no-stress…" she muttered as she looked down at the plunger her best friend had dropped in her hands before rushing off.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sosuke Sagara, sergeant of Mythril, was packing his own backpack for the upcoming trip. Though his own preparations looked somewhat different from the innocuous supplies Kaname and Kyoko were bringing. Explosives, automatic weapons, sensor traps, spare ammunition, and knives among other odds and ends. Sosuke was preparing for battle.

_Hmm… I wonder if I should radio the Danaan to request AS support._

His thoughts were disrupted by a loud knock on his door. He checked the peep hole with his Glock in hand. Seeing that it was just Kaname, he lowered his guard and opened the door. "Is something wrong, Chidori?"

Kaname scowled and pushed past him into his apartment. "Yes, something's wrong! What's all this?" pointing to the heavy arsenal he had laid out on the ground. Kaname being upset with him and barging into his apartment without permission was nothing new, but considering he hadn't even done anything wrong that day, he wondered what had brought on this hostility.

"I am preparing for our trip into the mountains. The terrain and wildlife there can be very dangerous under certain circumstances. It's best to take some precautions," he said matter-of-factly. Kaname felt her temper rising as she saw her fears coming true.

"You call THIS a 'precaution'?" she shouted lifting up a rocket launcher he'd set amongst the weapons he planned to bring along.

"You never know when a situation may arise where you might need such a weapon."

"ARGH!" Kaname finally lost her temper and smacked Sosuke over the head with her halisen. She then grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face close to hers, narrowing her eyes at him. "Listen to me, Sosuke! I really need this vacation so I'm going to ask you nicely: PLEASE don't ruin this trip for me and the others. And that means don't do anything violent, crazy, explosive, or war-like! Got it?"

"But Chidori…,"

"No 'buts'!"

Sosuke sighed. "Very well… But the risk of an unfortunate run-in with a wild animal is always present. It would be foolish not to take at least SOME means of self-defense. I will do my best not to disrupt your vacation, but please allow to at least bring along some light artillery."

Kaname released his collar and slumped her shoulders. After a moment, she looked back up at him with a suspicious glare. "How 'light' exactly?"

"Uh… just some knives and a few small caliber guns…"

"Uh huh…"

"…And some a few claymore mines for around the perimeter of our site."

"No explosives!" she vehemently protested.

Her sudden shout caused him to stand at attention. "Yes, ma'am! I understand!"

Kaname finally gave in and sighed. Sosuke was Sosuke and he wouldn't change. The best she could hope to do was to keep the damage at a minimum with some kind of compromise. "Alright…" she consented, sounding like she'd been defeated. She looked him in the eye with a pleading look and placed a hand on his chest to make sure she had his attention. "Sousuke… I mean it. A lot's happened recently, and I've been really looking forward to this trip so I could get my head cleared. Please don't ruin it for me, okay?"

Sosuke felt a little guilty at the look she gave him and the nearly desperate sound of her voice. He knew that he was only looking out for her well-being, but he also was aware that the problems he caused in the process often made a lot of trouble for her. And after all she'd gone through in the last month, he realized she was probably in need of some relaxation.

"I'll do my best. It won't be a problem," he tried his best to reassure her.

She nodded her acknowledgement as she walked past him to leave his apartment. She had her doubts, but all she could do was hope for the best. "Thanks. See ya," she said dejectedly.

When the door closed behind the girl, Sosuke looked around his bedroom. He promised himself that he would somehow not ruin this trip for Kaname, while still being careful to protect her. He then went about putting away most of what he'd taken out.

Though, lately… he'd had a sneaking suspicion that someone was watching him…

* * *

Kaname sullenly walked back to her apartment. The winter night air was freezing her, even though she was wearing a coat. The biting wind swept her long blue hair about her face. She hugged her shoulders trying to keep some warmth in.

_Why does he have to be like that? Why can't he just act normal for once? It's not like I'm asking him to change or anything. Just… give me a break sometimes._

Of course, she had been the one who had invited him to come along in the first place. She could have avoided all this trouble by not asking him to go with her. But then… she had to admit, she did enjoy his company. It just wouldn't feel right without him. He was definitely the most interesting person she knew, and there were times when had a strange, quirky charm to him.

And besides that… the month before while he was away, she'd been targeted by an assassin. She'd managed to fight and survive, but she couldn't remember a time in her life she'd ever been more terrified. During that time she realized just how much she depended on him to be there for her. So despite all the chaos he caused in her life, she definitely felt much safer and more secure with him around.

_Anyway, if I didn't bring him along, he's probably try to stalk behind me from the shadows. It's better for him to be somewhere I can keep an eye on him._

It then occurred to her that this line of thinking wasn't like her at all. Sosuke hadn't even done anything wrong yet and she was already letting herself get worked up. At this rate, even if he behaved perfectly, she'd ruin the vacation herself from agonizing over it. She resolved that this gloomy negativity wasn't going to help things any. It was her unwavering optimism that had seen her through so many situations, and it would see her through this one.

"Nope! This will be a great camping trip and even if Sosuke starts to get out of line, I'll just knock him back in place!" She smiled brightly to herself, proud of her ability for self-motivation.

Her mood was suddenly damped by a cold chill that ran over her. It wasn't from the air though. It was as if it ran straight through her blood. The streets suddenly seemed darker and more desolate than usual and it made her feel very insecure. Her senses for this sort of thing weren't nearly as keen as Sosuke's but it was as if she could feel someone watching her. But as she looked around, she saw no sign of anyone nearby.

"Probably just imagining things…" she reasoned to herself. But she still hastened her pace back to her apartment.

As soon as she'd left the area, Gauron stepped out from the shadows from which he'd been hiding. "Heh. A camping trip, eh? This'll be the perfect opportunity for us to get reacquainted, don't you agree, Kashim?"

* * *

Author's notes: It's been at least a year since I've written any fan fiction, so I may be getting a bit rusty. And this is my first attempt at a FMP fan fic. But I'm confident this story will turn out well.

For the record, this story takes place about a month after the events of the "End of Day by Day" FMP novel. For those who don't know, the FMP anime and manga are based on a novel series. "End of Day by Day" is the novel that takes place right after where the anime ends. Since I don't expect too many to have read it, I'm trying to give just enough clues that those who have read it will know what I'm talking about, while those who haven't can enjoy it without getting anything major ruined for them.

I think the most difficult aspect of this chapter was the conversation between Gauron and Marcus. I'm introducing a supernatural and ancient element into a relatively modern story. So it was tricky trying to have Gauron converse with a wise 500-year-old vampire without making things sound too out of place in the FMP setting.

Concerning vampires, I'm not really basing the ones in this story on any one concept, though I may borrow from several. So I've taken some liberties on what their abilities and weaknesses are.

Like any writing I do for this series, particularly regarding Sosuke and Kaname, I'm focusing on capturing the feel of the source material. Ideally, this story will seem like another one of Sosuke and Kaname's misadventures that fits between the events of the series.

Thanks for reading and until next time,

Weltall Elite


	2. Reunion

Full Metal Panic: Rebirth of the Nine Dragons

Chapter 2: Reunion

Kaname Chidori awoke from her peaceful slumber to the sounds of various birds singing their cheerful songs. From within her soft and snug sleeping bag, she breathed in the fresh mountain air.

She slowly climbed out of her tent to find that everyone was already awake and moving about. It didn't surprise her. She never did well in the mornings and without her alarm clock, she couldn't help but sleep in.

Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she smiled as she looked around. The morning breeze was cool and refreshing as it blew through her long blue hair. The freshly fallen snow covered the ground with a pure white frost. The massive pine trees were an awe-inspiring sight and filled the air with their fragrant scent. By contrast, tiny squirrels were busy scurrying up and about their branches.

In much the same fashion, her friends were moving about their campsite with their various chores. Kyoko and Mizuki were scrabbling eggs over a portable gas stove. Shinji and Ona-D were tending to the fire. Sousuke was... "Uh oh."

Her smile dropped as she continued to scan the campsite, unable to find the soldier in question.

"Hey, guys, have you seen Sousuke anywhere?" Kaname asked the two boys poking sticks into the fire.

"He got up before any of us. I saw him leave the tent with a rifle in hand," Shinji responded.

The teenaged girl slapped her forehead. "Oh, no. It's starting already..." She muttered to herself. With that, she put on a pair of slippers and ran off into the woods, still in her pajamas, hoping it wasn't too late.

* * *

The morning air was cold. His body was frigid even more so from lying in the snow all morning. But this was nothing to the battle hardened Mithril operative. His patience had paid off. He slowly and silently placed another handful of snow in his mouth to prevent his breath from fogging in the air and giving away his position. With trained precision, he lined up his target in his sights. Soon his bullet would pierce the heart of his unsuspecting victim. He carefully placed his finger over the trigger and slowly squeezed...

CRACK!

The sting of the paper fan smacking on top of his head knocked the soldier from his focus. It also alerted the large buck he'd been hunting to his position. He stared forlorn at its retreating figure as it escaped deep into the dense woods. He then turned his attention to his enraged assailant.

"Chidori? You've let the deer escape. What's wrong?"

"'What's wrong!'" she shouted at the confused young man. "You were going to shoot that poor, defenseless deer! What'd it ever do to you?"

"What it did to me isn't the issue. We're camping out in the wilderness. Gathering food is a necessity to survival. I was merely trying to secure breakfast," he replied nonchalantly.

Kaname let out a sigh. "Sousuke, as members of civilized society, we pack food in coolers so we don't have to hunt like cavemen! Kyoko and Mizuki are cooking breakfast for us right now."

"So I presume you don't want these then?" he asked, lifting up a pair of small white rabbits that had already been shot, gutted and cleaned. Spots of blood stained their pure white fluffy fur. Kaname let out a short scream and fell back on her rear end as he held them in front of her face.

"No, you butcher!" she screamed, jumping to her feet and kicking him squarely in the chin. Sousuke dropped his catch in the snow as he fell to the ground. "There's no way we're cooking that! Give those things a proper burial and come back to camp!" With that she turned around and stormed back to camp, grumbling the whole way. She wrapped her arms around herself, finally realizing just how cold it was and how underdressed she was.

Sousuke did as she instructed. But as he was returning back to camp, he felt an uncomfortable darkness surround him. He'd been feeling it for the past week or so. As if someone or something was following him. It left him feeling rather anxious since even his honed soldier instincts couldn't pinpoint any particular threat. But he couldn't shake the impending feeling of dread...

* * *

"Hey, let's go for a hike!" suggested Shinji some time after breakfast.

""Great idea!" Kyoko added.

"All right! Let's get going!"

"I don't think so, Kaname," interrupted Mizuki. "We all had to cook breakfast while you and Sagara were off making out in the woods!"

Kaname's face turned bright red. "We weren't making out!"

"Well, whatever you were doing, it's only fair that you two stay and do the dishes."

"It's only fair, Kana," Kyoko supported with a giggle.

Kaname sulked. Sousuke wasn't really paying attention as he seemed to be contemplating something.

"See you guys later!" shouted Ona-D to his two classmates. This snapped Sousuke back to reality.

"Wait!" he suddenly yelled to them, causing them to freeze immediately. "I set some traps around the parameter of the came before I left this morning to prevent anyone from entering the camp." He pointed to a well-hidden rope that Shinji had been just about to trip.

Kaname groaned. "I thought I told you no explosives."

"Affirmative. These traps are completely natural." He pointed high in the tree tops where a massive log that had been filed with a sharp point was suspended with ropes. "If this rope is tripped, the trespasser would most likely meet a grizzly end," he said proudly.

The whole camp stared at the soldier in stunned silence. "Sousuke…" Kaname finally spoke up. "I left the camp this morning to find you. So why weren't any of the traps sprung?"

"Oh, I suppose you were fortunate enough to exit and enter the camp at one of the few places I left open for us to safely pass through."

The blue haired girl turned pale. "You idiot! You could have gotten me killed! Why didn't you say something if you set up traps?"

This causes Sousuke to start sweating. "Uh… I apologize. I guess I forgot..."

That earned him a solid slap with Kaname's paper fan.

"Well, we'll see you guys later!"

"Make sure those dishes are spotless when we come back!"

"Try to keep your hands off each other. Tee hee!"

Kaname muttered a few curses under her breath before turning to her companion. In a single morning he'd killed two small woodland creatures, nearly gotten her killed, and was responsible for her having to waste the day in camp and she was determined to make him suffer. "Sousuke! This is all your fault, so you can do those dishes by yourself. Take them down to the river with some soap!" she snapped.

* * *

The river was only a short walk away, but the water was nearly freezing, so by the time Sousuke finished his task, his hands were numb and his fingers turning blue. But given how upset Kaname was with him, and his promise to try to make her vacation as enjoyable as possible, it prevented him from protesting his assignment.

When he returned to camp over an hour later he found the blue-haired girl warming herself by the fire, wearing a thick winter coat. She seemed to have calmed down somewhat and rather than risk upsetting her again, he stayed on the other end of the camp and attempted to warm his frozen hands as best he could with his own body heat until she decided to allow him to warm up by the fire.

This did not go unnoticed by the girl. She had been staring into the flames since Sousuke had left. Watching them dance in the wind as they climbed the charred logs had an almost hypnotic effect that helped her relax her frustration. She was well aware of how cold the water would be when she sent him off, but he never once complained. She had to admit that she was impressed.

"C'mon, Sousuke. Sit by the fire before you catch hypothermia." Wordlessly, but eagerly, he accepted and sat himself beside her. Clutching his chest, he rocked himself back and forth and breathed heavily, trying to restore his body heat.

Though he may have deserved it, Kaname felt a little guilty seeing him in this state. She knew he was only interested in her well-being, even if he did mess up a lot of things. Glancing at his silent form, struggling for warmth, she felt a strange impulse come over her. She hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between him and the fire, but she eventually scooted closer to the boy and slowly wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his upper arms and shoulders. His body stiffened at first at the contact but soon relaxed and melted into the awkward embrace. Both of them started feeling rather warm in spite of the cold, particularly in their faces.

After a long silence, Kaname finally spoke up. "I'm sorry I got so mad at you before. Maybe I overreacted." Sousuke said nothing. He simply continued to stare into the fire. This had Kaname feeling rather uncomfortable. "You aren't... mad at me for making you do the dishes, are you?"

"Negative. I deserved that. I should have warned you about the traps. It was very careless of me to leave without mentioning them. I'm the one who should apologize. I really did want you to enjoy this trip. I never wanted to ruin things for you." Feeling somewhat relieved, Kaname smiled a little and unconsciously pulled herself a little closer to him.

"It's okay. We still have a few more days. We'll have some fun tomorrow." After a moment of thought, she added, "But you do seem like you've been kind of distracted lately. Is something wrong?"

Sousuke took a deep breath and pondered her question for a moment. She'd gotten quite good at reading him, though he generally did an excellent job of hiding his feelings from most people. It'd be pointless to try to keep it from her. "It's probably nothing. I've just been having a very bad feeling lately. Like we're being watched by something. I see no physical signs of any enemy, but I can't seem to shake this feeling."

Kaname frowned as she recalled something. "Actually... now that you mention it, when I was leaving your apartment the other day, I remember feeling like someone or something was watching me."

"So you've noticed it too…" he whispered in response. "Whatever it is, it's been distracting my focus. So I apologize for my actions. But I just have a very bad feeling," he grimly admitted. To see even Sousuke feeling anxious made her even more nervous. She was now holding onto him, though more for her own security than to keep him warm. Without even realizing when she'd gotten so close, her cheek was now pressed to his shoulder and her hands tightly gripped the sleeves of his jacket.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes before they were interrupted.

"Sagara!"

Both Sousuke and Kaname jumped at the outburst and quickly parted. "We weren't doing anything!" the blushing girl shouted in response. "I was just helping him warm up!" She looked at her friends, expecting to find them grinning at her, ready to tease the both of them. Instead what she found was fear. "What happened?" she asked, realizing that something was obviously wrong.

"We found a dead body in a cave a little ways from here!" replied Shinji, in a panicked voice.

"We didn't know what to do since there's no police out here, so we decided we should come find you, Sagara," added Kyoko.

Sousuke immediately stood up, no longer showing any signs of being affected by the cold or his embrace with Kaname. "Show me," he said firmly.

* * *

Sousuke shined his flashlight into the mouth of the cave but could see nothing suspicious from the opening.

"The body's a short ways in there, but I doubt you'd be able to see it from here," said Ona-D. Sousuke simply nodded and drew his Glock.

"You all wait here and stay together. Shout if you see or hear anything. I'll go in to investigate the situation." All his classmates nodded in agreement. Kyoko swallowed hard as he started his way into the deep, dark cave.

"Sousuke!" Kaname called out to him. He stopped and turned his head to face her. Worry was clearly shown on her face. "Please be careful, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be back shortly."

After walking a short distance into the cave, Sousuke came across the body. He knelt down to check the vitals. Sure enough, the victim was dead. Sousuke continued his investigation of the corpse for clues. Male. Late 20s, early 30s. His clothing and equipment suggested he was a hiker. No weapons, save for a small pocket knife. Probably used more as a tool than self-defense. There was a small campfire and sleeping bag nearby. This suggested he was setting up to camp out in this cave. The embers were still glowing so he'd probably been killed within the last few hours.

What grabbed the soldier's attention most, however, was the brutal way in which the man had been killed. He appeared to have been torn apart by some incredibly strong force. The power and savagery suggested the attacker was an animal, but there appeared to be no tooth or claw marks on the body. And the way many of the injuries had been in delicate pressure points and joints seemed to imply the killer was very skilled in killing arts, rather than just a mindless slaughterer.

He also noted two small holes in the victim's neck, puncturing the carotid artery. The whole situation didn't make any sense, but Sousuke's instincts told him that it had something to do with the feeling of dread he'd been having all week, and that didn't sit well with him at all.

"Ah, Kashim..." a sinister voice suddenly echoed throughout the cave. Sousuke froze and his blood ran cold. He knew that voice. But it wasn't possible. He was dead. He'd killed him himself. "I figured I'd wait until nightfall to pay you and your friends a little visit, but it seems that you've saved me the trouble." He then let out a cruel laughter that boomed off the walls.

Sousuke immediately stood up and attempted to find out where the voice was coming from. "Gauron! That's impossible! I killed you!"

"Yeah, that's true," the voice agreed. "But then, when have I ever let that get in my way? Heh heh."

Sousuke frantically scanned the surrounding area with his flashlight in his left hand in a reverse grip and his pistol in his right. He balanced his gun hand over his left wrist, so that everywhere he pointed his gun, the light would also shine. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't tell where the voices were coming from. Normally, his honed combat instincts could help him detect an enemy, but he couldn't feel his nemesis' presence in any single direction. Rather, he felt a heavy dark aura surrounding him._ 'Where are you, damn it!'_

"Looking for someone, Kashim?" The teenaged boy immediately spun around to find the large, burly man standing behind him. _'How his he alive?' 'How did he get his limbs back?' 'How did he sneak behind me without me sensing it?' _These questions passed Sousuke's mind for an instant and no more. He knew his enemy and that now was not the time for questions. He fired three rounds in Gauron's direction, but the man seemed to disappear again right before his eyes.

"Now, is that any way to greet an old friend?" The voice was again behind him. The young mercenary turned around and squeezed a few more rounds off at Gauron, meeting with the same results.

'_Is it an illusion? Some type of hologram device?' _His questions were abruptly answered by a powerful blow from behind that sent his flying into the jagged stone wall of the cave. Sousuke gasped in pain from the impact before regaining his footing. In addition to the bruises from the impact, the sharp rock wall had also opened up several small cuts on his hands. He staggered slightly to turn around only to find Gauron already moving toward him at an incredible speed, his fist poised to smash his face. His instincts kicked in and he narrowly ducked the punch, resulting in a section of the wall behind him crumbling where his head had been. But now Sousuke was inside of his enemy's guard and could launch a counter-attack.

He shined his SureFire flashlight upwards in Gauron's eyes, simply hoping to stun him long enough to deal with his new-found speed. Instead he howled in agony and staggered backwards covering his eyes from the blinding photon pulse.

The light was several times brighter than the average flashlight and designed for tactical use. Shined in the eyes of an enemy, it was made to blind, stun and disorient. But Gauron seemed to be particularly sensitive even compared to normal people. Sousuke didn't waste the opportunity and emptied the remainder of his 9mm rounds into the man's chest. He then quickly rolled away, putting some space between them. Sousuke was sure that would finish him off, but when he faced him, he was shocked by what he saw.

Gauron clutched his chest, in obvious pain and glared at Sousuke, but he didn't fall. _'Is he some kind of monster?' _It was then that he finally noticed his appearance. Gauron's face was completely disfigured with scars, almost to the point of being unrecognizable. His eyes weren't human anymore. Instead they were a bright yellow. The insane man then opened his mouth and emitted a terrible hissing sound at Sousuke. His upper incisors lengthened into unnatural threatening points.

A horrible feeling clenched at Sousuke's chest. It was a feeling he hadn't known very much of in his life but he immediately recognized it. Fear. Gauron had always been a deadly opponent, but he now seemed to be something more than human and the normally steadfast soldier was completely unprepared to deal with this new threat. He'd stared death in the eye many times in the past, but something about this evil creature terrified him.

He was already out of bullets and the rest of his weapons were at camp. All he had left was his flashlight. He tried to blind Gauron once again, but this time he was prepared for it. The monster was immediately upon him and swatted the light from his hand. Sousuke countered with a swift and powerful kick to his midsection that did little more than cause him to stagger slightly. Realizing the situation was hopeless, the Mithril agent took advantage of his opponent being off balance and made a break for the entrance of the cave. In a shout of rage, Gauron gave chase. The bullet wounds had slowed him down slightly, but it took everything Sousuke had just to stay ahead of him. His only hope was that Gauron would be sensitive to sunlight and that would give him a chance to escape.

He then remembered his friends waiting for him outside the cave. He didn't want to draw the enemy to them, but if he died, it wouldn't be long before they met a similar fate. The best he could do was give them a warning. "Chidori! Everyone! Run back to the camp right now!"

"Sousuke, are you all right?" It was Kaname's voice.

"Don't wait for me! Run back to camp! Go!" His body ached from his recent injuries but he pooled his strength to stay ahead of the abomination chasing him. He could almost feel Gauron right behind him, nearly within striking distance. If he closed that distance, it was all over. Just a little further and just maybe he'd be able to escape with his life.

But as he neared the mouth of the cave, his heart sank. His classmates had all run off as he'd instructed, except for the one person he was most concerned about. Kaname had loyally stayed behind and waited for him.

"Sousuke!" There was no time to say anything more. There was no time to grab her and keep running. And there was no way to turn around and keep fighting. Sousuke did the only thing he could think to do at this point. He dived at her as he reached the entrance and tackled her to the ground. She grunted at the rough impact, but it was far better than the damage she'd receive when Gauron got a hold of her. He desperately did his best to shield her from the monster with his own body. Once Gauron had finished him, he knew Kaname wouldn't be far behind, but it was the only thing he could still for her.

He placed his head down close to hers, clung tightly to her slender frame, shut his eyes tightly and awaited his fate.

But it never came. Gauron had been so caught up in the chase, that he hadn't noticed the mouth of the cave. He shrieked in pain as the sunlight briefly came into contact with his skin. He immediately stopped and backed into the safe cover of the stone walls.

Sousuke slowly rolled off of Kaname and they both looked at their attacker.

"Oh my god!" Kaname gasped, when she saw who was attacking them and his unnatural appearance. His skin was smoldering slightly and he was still clutching the bullet holes in his chest. But now he was simply staring at the pair with a cruel, twisted smile and evil yellow eyes.

"My, my, my. Miss Kaname, it's nice to see you. You're looking well," he said sarcastically.

"And you're somehow even uglier than last time, scarface," she retorted as boldly as she could manage, though she said it from safely behind Sousuke's back, peering up over his shoulder.

"Eh heh heh. As feisty as ever, I see. I like that." He then turned his attention to Sousuke. "I knew you'd make this interesting for me. I'm so glad that you and I get to play this little game one last time, Kashim."

"This isn't a game, Gauron!" Sousuke sneered. "How are you still alive? I looked you in the eye as I killed you last time. No Lambda Driver could have saved you then."

"Oh, that..." he said casually. "Some folks in China scraped up what was left of my corpse and managed to bring me back. Call it an 'alternative medical practice'. There were a few added benefits to the process... and a few drawbacks as well..." he muttered that last part as he glanced toward the sky. "They did it on the condition that I help them out with a few things, but I decided they were a pretty boring bunch for my taste and I thought that you'd be much more entertaining. Looks like I was right. Though, I think you'd have been a much more interesting challenge if my plans to take care of that pesky little tumor that's made you such a wimp hadn't fallen through the cracks." He then looked back at Kaname pointedly. Both Sousuke and Kaname knew exactly what he meant by "tumor". "But hey, there's no reason we can't perform that 'operation' right here, eh Kaname?" he said with a sick smile and winked at her. Kaname felt a chill run down her spine and clutched Sousuke's shoulders a little tighter. Neither Kaname nor her protector made any effort to continue the conversation. The madman could see the fear in their eyes and relished it. In Kaname's case, anyway. Sousuke was different. Gauron wanted him to be strong, if nothing else. But perhaps just needed the proper "motivation".

"Well... you kids run along now. But remember, Kashim. The sun will go down and sooner or later I'll find you. You can't run forever. In the meantime, I need to go take a little break." With that, he seemed to fade back into the darkness of the cave and the dark atmosphere that seemed to follow him slowly receded. Both the teens let out a sigh of relief. They were safe, for at least the moment.

"Sousuke, are you alright? You're bleeding," she asked in concern.

"I'll be fine. It's not a problem."

"What's going on, Sousuke? Why is Gauron here and what's happened to him?"

Sousuke shook his head. "I don't know," he answered honestly. He then stood up straight and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry, Chidori. I know you wanted to relax and enjoy this weekend, but I'm afraid this vacation's over."

Kaname wasn't about to argue the point. She simply nodded and quickly headed back to camp with him. But both knew this encounter was far from over.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading. This story is quite a bit less popular than my other fic, Family Reunion, but I do enjoy writing it. The plot seems to flow a little more smoothly for me.I justlove the chemistry that Gauron brings to the FMP story. And of course, Sousuke and Kaname's interactions are always fun to write. :)

Drop me a line and let me know what you thought of the story. Any comment either positive or negative is helpful.

And by way of shameless plugging, read my one-shot piece, "The Heart's Desire". Of everything I've written, I feel that's my best piece so far. :)

Thanks again for reading!


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